The invention relates to a liquid-nebulizing device for the dermatological treatment of the hands, e.g. by dispensing detergent and/or disinfectant and/or therapeutic liquids.
As is known, some apparata have been developed which can sprinkle or nebulize liquids of various description over different parts of the human body, such as the face or limbs. In this connection, reference can be made to U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,565,065; 3,599,251; 4,144,596; and 4,331,137. These prior patents disclose apparata which can dispense a variety of liquids for medical or disinfection uses by anyone involved on account of his/her activity in contacts with a large number of people or special environments, and is to avoid contagion or becoming a contagion carrier.
Such prior apparata are only moderately successful when used for the dermatological treatment of the hands, even where expressly designed for this specific application; disadvantages are experienced with such apparata which affect adversely their usefulness.
It should be pointed out, in fact, that the effectiveness of a treatment can only be judged satisfactory where the liquids are nebulized and not merely sprinkled over, and where the same are dispensed to impinge on and sweep across most of the hand skin surface, in particular the hand palms.
This is so because only nebulization can ensure deep penetration of the liquid droplets into the skin and optimum hygienic conditions because no liquid build-ups are produced and no devices are required for collecting and discharging the spent liquids. Nebulization also makes unnecessary hand drier devices, which devices are exposed to contamination and, in any case, would shorten the time of residence of the liquids on the skin. Irrigation should affect most of the hand skin surface because otherwise, even a massage directed to spread the liquid evenly is inadequate to ensure proper spreading.
Lastly, it is the hand palms that mostly require irrigation because they are more likely to come into direct contact with external objects.
With prior apparata, the above-outlined problems are caused by the very fact that the liquids are often just sprinkled over and not nebulized, by that even where nebulization of the liquids is provided the same would only sweep randomly the exposed skin surface, and by that the irrigation is more likely to concern the back of the hands than the palms. This because the delivery cone of any sprinkler or nebulizer has a breadth which varies considerably from the starting point of delivery, and because a user is allowed to place his/her hands at any regions of the delivery cone, even where the latter is quite small. The net result is that the irrigation effect can only occasionally concern the entire skin surface of the hands, while owing to the user tending to bring his/her hands closer to the spray nozzles, an even more limited portion of the skin surface is actually irrigated. Furthermore, the spray and nebulizing nozzles are generally arranged and oriented without taking into due account the fact that hands are spontaneously introduced into the treatment area in a palm-down attitude. And in general, the spray and nebulizing nozzles are arranged to act from above, with the consequence that it is mainly the back of the hand which is irrigated, i.e. a portion of the skin surface of no primary concern from the standpoint of the required treatment.
It should be further noted that an added disadvantage of prior apparata comes from that they have in general a significant operating inertia, which requires an ample time interval between successive cycles. In fact, on interrupting their operation, as at the end of an operating cycle, one is to wait for the already started but not yet dispensed mass of liquid to flow down. After this time has elapsed, one can again operate a known apparatus, but more time must be conceded for the liquid to be pressurized and delivered. This shortcoming imposes limitations on the practical use of known apparata in medical ambulatories and wherever continued utilization of the apparata by a number of persons is imperative.
Prior apparata, moreover, are relatively complex, expensive and bulky, and accordingly, basically unsuited to the widespread application thereof which would be highly desirable for hygienic reasons.